


Points of View

by Sinshipsahoy



Series: Points Of View Series [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, bruce is a weirdo, kind of angst but not really, new fic writer so bear with me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-06-02 04:02:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19433527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sinshipsahoy/pseuds/Sinshipsahoy
Summary: A study of different characters’ points of view with regard to Dick and Bruce’s relationship, and then the truth.





	Points of View

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so this is the first fan fiction I’ve ever written so sorry if it’s garbage. Would love feedback, thanks for reading! Also, all mentions of past exploits of Batman and robin are references to 1940’s comics

Tim hadn’t put it together right away. It’d taken years of careful observation, but while he groggily stared over his bowel of cereal, it finally clicked. He had woken up to a screaming match (really, Dick was the only one screaming), and he was soon joined by Damian and Alfred in the kitchen.

“I can’t fucking believe you!” This was doozy alright. Dick was actually hopping mad, face red, and pacing back and forth with gritted teeth. “My apartment? Are you serious?” Bruce, for his part, had almost completely shut down and was offering no apology. His replies were few, and always succinct and often pedantic and petty. Of course, this would only wind Dick up more, but Tim figured Bruce didn’t need that explained to him.

“Emotional incest,” he muttered as he swirled his spoon lazily. He didn’t mean to say it out loud, but it didn’t matter. If Damian or Alfred heard, neither cared to comment, and Tim might as well have been invisible to Bruce and Dick.

Made sense. His dad and older brother were always a touch too close, and the lewd Batman and Robin rumors weren’t entirely unfounded. Grayson had mentioned before that he and Bruce used to have couples messages, go out on the lake at night, and even shared a bed- unusual behavior for a teenaged son and his father, though Dick was blasé . And even without that background knowledge, one could draw their own conclusions from watching them now.

Dick, even at 27 years of age, would still cuddle up next to Bruce during movie night. Despite being the oldest, Bruce was arguably the most protective of Dick (hence the bugging of his apartment), and struggled with severe separation anxiety without big bird around. Dick’s inability to keep a relationship, unfamiliarity with healthy boundaries, emotional strife- the signs were all there. It seemed that, having taken Dick in while he was single and lonely, Bruce subconsciously (Tim hoped) began treating him more like a partner than a son.

Tim washed his bowl as the storm raged on. Grayson could throw a fit for hours on end. He’d tuned it out some time ago, and with only a passing glance (glare) from Damian, he went to get in an early work out.

—————

Soulmates. Mother had told him about them. Every person on earth, she would say, had someone who’s soul was bound to theirs. One half to another’s whole. Mother had said the Batman was her soulmate, but Damian now knew she was wrong. Grayson was father’s soulmate. It was obvious, even if everyone else was too stupid to put it together.

When he’d come into his father’s home, Grayson was the first to extend welcome. Grayson was the one who made Damian feel at home. Grandfather had always said hospitality was a woman’s work, and until explicitly told Grayson was his brother, Damian assumed he was father’s lover.

Even if they weren’t bound in name, they were in spirit. When they fought each other- like now, for instance- they were evenly matched. When they fought together, they were unstoppable. Though very different, they understood each other wholly and fought viciously to protect each other. They flowed into each other naturally. When they embraced it was like their bodies were made to fit together, and no matter how much they disagreed, it was clear they’d do anything for each other.

Alfred hadn’t asked Damian if he’d wanted eggs (he didn’t) but when the plate was put in front of him, he ate without complaint. Pennyworth was the best at disguising his feelings, but once again Damian knew better. The old man tended to the kitchen around him, wiping already spotless counters. He hardly turned around to face the others, but was no doubt absorbing every word.

Drake left, and Damian finished his breakfast. By this time, Grayson was lowering his tone. When Pennyworth came to collect his scraps, Damian came to a new conclusion.

Alfred wasn’t stupid like the others. He knew.

———————

Alfred had known forever something was wrong with those two. He remembered when Dick was brought in. The boy was quiet, understandably heartbroken. With time, he’d opened up- he’d started with helping around the manor, and soon he smiled and then laughed.

The Englishmen remembered fondly the first time the boy had actually doubled over in a fit of giggles. It’d been a few months since he moved in, and master Bruce asked the child what he wanted. Dick responded only with cereal, and early next morning, no less then 55 boxes of the stuff awaited him. What exactly was so funny escaped both Bruce and Alfred, but the sight of multicolored boxes (ordered alphabetically, of course) had the young man in stitches. From then on, his laughter filled to house, and the cold halls of the manor felt properly lived in again.

It’d been around then, too, that Alfred became privy to a change in Bruce he could barely bring himself to acknowledge. Master Bruce- his own adopted son- was smiling again. True, authentic happiness that lit up his eyes and his dark facade. He couldn’t lose that, not after years of melancholy and near silence. But Alfred _knew, knew that something was wrong._

Bruce became addicted to the joy master Richard brought him. He’d take the boy everywhere- even to bed, for goodness sake! That wasn’t normal. When the boy became Robin, things only got worse. He saw it in Bruce’s eyes- subdued hunger at seeing Dick so immodestly dressed.

On one such occasion, he and Alfred had locked eyes, a silent accusation. At once, steely blue eyes glared at him.

“I never touched him.”

And that was that. Bruce wouldn’t lie to Alfred- not like he could, anyway- so the subject was dropped. Their relationship wasn’t normal, but it wasn’t criminal either. Alfred’s morals weren’t so usually lukewarm, but when it came to Bruce, the only thing that mattered was that he was happy.

When his little bird flew from home, Bruce was absolutely crushed. It was evident from bruises that’d colored his knuckles after a night on patrol. Criminals were beaten even more savagely than usual. He couldn’t keep his bird caged, but Alfred knew better. Bruce would never let him go.

Perhaps that was why he hadn’t even bothered to hide the feed from Dick’s apartment from him. Bruce had carefully encrypted the file, hidden it from everyone, but watched it openly around Alfred. Dick sleeping, getting dressed, eating, sleeping with yet another partner- on full display. Alfred didn’t look. He never did. Alfred left, leaving the two alone.

—————-

As positively infuriated as he was, Dick sure as hell wasn’t surprised. It was just like Bruce to act this way- put up a front, say ‘ _Oh sure, Dick, I’m letting you go out on your own_ ’ only to fucking spy on him. He could’ve pulled his hair out, except it wouldn’t do anything- plus, he had great hair.

Instead, he took a deep breath, and looked Bruce right in the eye. “Just tell me why.”

The older man seemed mildly taken aback. “I think you know why-“

“I want to hear you say it.”

It was a rarity for Bruce to break eye contact first, but he did, muttering a weak excuse. “I missed you.”

The words, for all their sweetness, stung. Dick breathed another heavy sigh. How long did they have to keep doing this? Of course Bruce missed him, any parent would miss their kid, but that wasn’t why Dick was being monitored and they both new it. There had to be more.

“I’m not an idiot, Bruce.”

He had Bruce in a corner, there was no getting out of this. Dick didn’t know when, but at some point he’d decided today was the day they’d finally be honest with each other.

He took a step closer so that they were barely separated. A hand placed on Bruce’s rough cheek forced him to look at Grayson once more.

“Don’t do this, Dick.”

A pointless statement, to be sure. The caution in Bruce’s voice betrayed that there was a reason to tread lightly- and that they’d already gone too far. Dick locked his hands behind Bruce’s neck. “Just tell me the truth.”

The truth was that no one could know what they had. No one could’ve catalogued every passing glance or whispered conversation. The dreams they shared at night were theirs alone. They knew it was unconventional, wrong, weird, the love they shared. But if they were being honest, transparency was better then any pining or repression.

The truth was that none of that needed to be said out loud, so Bruce didn’t. Instead, he pulled the younger man closer, and closed the gap between them. The kiss was dry, and ended all too quickly, but the point was made.

“That’s what I thought,” Dick whispered as he cracked the first smile of the day. He pulled back further, resting his hands on Bruce’s chest. The frown returned with full force. “But if you ever do that again, I’ll throw you out a window.”


End file.
